Saturday 6 June 2015

Stone and flowers


















Thank you for all your birthday good wishes.  My nerves are of course in shreds courtesy of Nerf guns round every corner.  They are now banned for the half hour before bed, and also first thing in the morning.  Did I ever mention that I'm quite a quiet person?  And a lover of quiet.  With three boys of course there is little enough peace.  So I've drawn the line at Nerfs at dawn.  The boys are usually lovely and quiet first thing.  They like to sit and read or draw or do tranquil things.  Nerf has put an end to all of this.  If the early morning No Nerf Rule is breached I may have to get a lockable gun safe.  Although I love the mornings, I love the peace of the mornings.  And I had no idea that having a Nerf gun would require complete rearrangement of the furniture to form cover from incoming fire.  Order and quiet have been restored now, albeit temporarily, and I'm heaving a happy sigh.

Photos from beautiful Cirencester.  So many wonderful houses and so many lovely flowers at this time of year.  The littlest boy goes round saying things like, "That garden is stunning mummy".  I've trained him well.  

54 comments:

  1. I remember those days well when my boys were little. Ah they loved a good Nerf war and of course I was picking up those little nerd "bullets" all over. Then someone would get shot near their eye and all sorts of screaming would happen. Glad you have set some rules, they will have a grand time this summer with them won't they?
    Hugs,
    Meredith

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  2. I am happy that Nerf guns weren't around when my guys where little.. a Nerf bat and ball maybe. Can't you ban them to be used outside only? I was wondering which of those stone mansions was yours? We're being slugs today and watching TV while it's 90 deg. outside. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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  3. I feel quite gloomy at the amount of wisteria, climbing roses and clipped box that I have not got. Also quite deficient in polished brass and bow windows. I need an upgrade.

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  4. Feeling a tad jealous of those wonderful plants CJ, note to self...must try harder. I'm glad you've found some quiet :-)

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  5. Wonderful houses, gardens and flowers dear C.J. I too am a quiet person, I especially like quiet in the morning so I can ease peacefully into the day.
    xoxoxo ♡

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  6. Such beautiful stone houses and plants, you certainly have an eye for beautiful.

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  7. Cirencester looks a beautiful place.. love those stone houses with those gorgeous flowers, very pretty. Enjoy your quiet time :o) xx

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  8. Love these photo's - stone makes such a lovely backdrop for all the planting - especially when such soft stone colours. I planted a rose at the front door, hoping for this sort of look, it has now reached the gutter - not quite like your pics - a bit of a stem (brown) and a mop of green and buds at the top. Must do more tending!

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  9. Lovely photos. The beautiful mellow stone is such a wonderful combination with the flowers. I'm glad some peace has been restored!

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  10. I made the mistake of getting hubby a Nerf gun as well as the kids one Christmas. BIG MISTAKE as he ends up being the instigator of most of he battles. Gorgeous photos! x Susan

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  11. Stunning photos - those roses and the wisteria against Cotswold stone; so beautiful. Your youngest sounds like such a sweetie. Good luck with the Nerf guns! xx

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  12. Nerf guns... We have them too. And I find ammunition everywhere imaginable. In summer at the summer house, the kids have big battles. Running around in the garden more than inside. We still find the ammunition every where though... Lovely gardens, well trained little ones. I see the Wisteria is on its 2nd blooming where you live. How lovely. :)
    Xxx

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  13. Love the photos - looks a beautiful place.
    I hope you've had a quiet start to your Sunday. x

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  14. nerf battles at dawn. eek. well done for keeping the lid on those xxx

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  15. Beautiful photos, CJ. Cirencester is a beautiful town. Our Nerf guns are currently on top of a wardrobe after a particularly riotous incident... Enjoy a peaceful Sunday. Sam x

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  16. Oh dear CJ, I googled nerf guns, I had no idea but I guess with three boys resistance is futile. Good for you for establishing a no-fire period. Beautiful photos, you have such a good eye, and lovely to hear the littlest boy enjoys looking at lovely gardens too. Just off for a day of garden visiting at Bosham with my long-suffering husband!

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  17. Too glorious for words, you live in rose paradise!

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  18. oh, those flowers. those beautiful blooms. *sigh*. i'm at once inspired and dejected - not imagining i could ever possibly pull off an equivalent. :) can't hurt to try, though...

    i know what you mean about quiet. i wouldn't be very good with nerf battles, i don't think, especially the dawn raids. :O

    xo

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  19. I like quiet too. When I am in on my own I never have the television are radio on.

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  20. Oh my, I can just picture the disaster those Nerf guns have been as far as your peace and quiet goes. Great idea to have established some Nerf Free hours. :-)

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  21. Ay ay ay, those photos! We're about to start house-hunting round your neck of the woods -- and now I think I need to add Cirencester on the list of places to visit...

    My sproglet also says wonderful things like, "Oh Mummy, what a stunning garden" and it makes me wildly happy, ha ha. Long may it continue.

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  22. A most enjoyable post, and a wonderful selection of lovely pictures.
    Enjoy the rest of the day, and have a good week. Flighty xx

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  23. Lovely, those arched windows! X

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  24. There's been some funny tales from your boys here. Glad you survived the neuf attack and have made some new rules! I'm just about to list a load for ebay. Of course then we moved on to bbguns....don't worry it took a while! I wasn't so happy about that either. We do now have a lockable gun case. I really don't like guns to be honest....but in the end i had to find all about just make sure it was all being done right. Neuf's are good. stick with them, especially with little ones coming up behind. X

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  25. I'm a quiet person and a lover of peace as well. I can't stand a lot of commotion and loud voices around me and I'm often telling my children to keep it down. I probably sound really old and crotchety but it bothers me. I'm glad he had a good birthday. He seems like a very fun-loving child. The garden photos are very nice. I love this time of year with everything in bloom and so much the better when it's in such a beautiful old setting. I hope you have a good week, CJ.

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  26. There will be no Nerf guns in this house. (My daughter would probably shoot it at the dogs, who would then in turn eat the ammo.) I think it is wonderful that you have trained your boys to appreciate natural beauty.

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  27. I seem to spend my life asking my children to talk in quieter voices (says she with the foghorn voice!) - fortunately we haven't had the nerf gun bonanza here - yet but I expect it's only a matter of time - they have a 'special' very 'pink' and 'purple' range that's menat to appeal to girls!! Those are stunning photographs. x

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  28. Sometimes Angus quietly nudges me and says "mummy, look at that pretty view/sky/flower" and my heart could absolutely burst. My two seem unable to jump on the trampoline without huge amounts of screaming and shrieking, I fear for the hearing of our neighbours. Beautiful photos CJ, really gorgeous. Have a great week. Xx

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  29. Oh gosh, nerfs at dawn does sound like a lot to take! I hope that you can keep your peaceful mornings and that no gun cabinet is required! xx

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  30. Those gardens ARE stunning!!! I especially love all those wisteria photos!

    We had a rule in our house ---- no wild stuff until Mum has had her tea. I was lucky that there were a few television shows on educational TV early in the morning. Of course, I still remember Stephen poking me in the eye to ask if I was awake. He wanted to know what Fibonacci Sequence was. He was 3. ROFL He learned the word on Square One (a math tv show.)

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  31. AHHH!!! You had me at stones and flowers! I love this combination as there is nothing more stunning than flowers growing on aged stone! Your photographs made my heart skip a beat!! And I must have missed a post CJ....my little one has been sick so I am sorry I'm late to visiting.....Wishing you a very happy belated birthday my friend! I hope that it was a good one and that you have a wonderful week ahead! Thank you for the inspiration buddy! Nicole xoxo

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  32. Good to put your foot down early CJ! Else you'll have Nerf ammunition in your breakfast cereal and in other unexpected places. I found one 'bullet' in my underwear drawer once :-) I love it quiet, I don't even listen to music when I am on my own, simply enjoying the gentle humming of life elsewhere. Of course with all the children, it is difficult. James is noisy even in his sleep.... Have a lovely week. xx

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  33. When my two went through the Nerf gun stage I had to arrange periods of ceasefire and curfew to allow for mealtimes and family life to take place.They do grow out of it eventually. I still occasionally come across Nerf ammo behind furniture, or in long neglected corners of the boys' bedrooms. X

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  34. I love peace and quiet too, funny though, it was always my girl who was my noisy one. I think you've made a sensible decision with your No Nerf Rule. Beautiful photos, that wisteria is fabulous.

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  35. Hey CJ,
    I was swooning over every house and garden!! I have confiscated the nerf guns. I do this every now and again. My nerves can only take them for so long. We have furniture re-arranging here too. And sofa vaulting, which tends to lead to either tears or shouting. By the way, my sister is getting rid of all my nephews nerf guns, if you fancy a job lot to put away for Christmas?
    Leanne

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    Replies
    1. I'm laughing. With a slight edge of hysteria.

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  36. Oh no, not nerfs at dawn, that's too much. I'm sure the excitement will wear off soon and you'll be finding the bullets in strange places for months to come. Beautiful flowers and stonework, I love the colour of the houses down your way. xx

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  37. Ah the nerf battles I could regale you with that the soccer team has turned my tiny apartment into a war torn country. Bases built on both ends of a long hallway. Darts being pulled out of every nook and cranny for days and days. hehe.

    It's good to have some quiet/non nerf time boundaries mom, I like it. :)

    Keep your happy time and they'll learn it will grant them their battle time later, ha! Oh for the record, they are blasters not guns, it's how they've managed such a successful marketing campaign. When you need a good giggle, look up Rebel Nerf ... for girls. please every good nerf loving girl would be pleased with the as is.

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  38. those photos are wonderful - so English! the wisteria is magnificent. strangely don't see much wisteria here in Tassie. I also liked your stocks in the previous post - so fragrant and heady
    and nerfs - wow, the things I miss out on as a single gal ;-)

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  39. What a gorgeous post ... those houses are all so lovely, and adorned with flowers they are over-the-top beautiful. All the roses here have burst into bloom in the last week - an explosion of loveliness.

    I love quiet too, and spent years baby-sitting two boys. Lucky for me they went home every afternoon so I got some of the quiet I craved - until Mr. M (who is just a larger but equally noisy boy) got home that is. Someday when they're gone you will miss that noise and wish you could have it back for just a bit. :)

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  40. Stone and flowers - a match made in heaven. Stunning photos CJ. Have a lovely week. Jxx

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  41. Such gorgeous, gorgeous photos! Oh, and I always relate so well to your posts... we have Nerf fanatic in our house too!

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  42. hi there, just stumbled in from cyberspace lol.

    oh my goodness, Britian in bloom, flowers trailing from stone wall - there's nothing like it for me.

    i adore silence lol no idea what nerf guns are but sound hideous.

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  43. They always say you hear yourself in your children - you can definitely hear you in your son!! Seeing your stunning photos of Cirencester makes you realise why visitors love our country so much.
    Just had a long chat on the phone with my younger son (1st year at Uni) - it was fantastic. Make the most of them while they are with you - oh gosh, I sound all sentimental now, see what sons do to you!
    Caz xx
    Caz xx

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  44. The photos are gorgeous, so many lovely places with those pretty blooms round the front. Good luck with the nerf gun wars, good idea to make rules on nerf usage.

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  45. Those really are stunning gardens. I love the wisteria. Ours didn't do well this year because of the bad weather.

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  46. Stunning photos of gorgeous homes and gardens. I have no idea what nerf guns are, but I hope your new rules are kept and followed. We all need a bit of peace and quiet in our day,
    especially in the mornings. Good luck and hope you're having a lovely week!

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  47. Ahh I missed your birthday while I was on vacation in Nashville! Well, happy belated birthday! Those are gorgeous flowers... and so many of them!

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  48. Oh yes I can remember Nerf guns, lasar parties and paint ball parties ... you do need certain rules !

    Your pictures here are stunning, what a lovely collection.

    All the best Jan

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  49. Gorgeous photos and house fronts and climbers, each one is fab, you have my sympathies, I am a peace and quiet person too and had 3 boys! I survived, I think :) Ha ha.

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  50. I have fond memories or tormenting my sisters and being tormented in return by neighbors with nerf water guns. When I see them in the stores now, I still kind of want one. Best of luck keeping the peace! I can empathize as I do enjoy peace and quiet myself.

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  51. Given how well I know your area I play spot the town when you share gorgeous Cotswold stone images like this, but I got this one wrong.

    My sincere condolences re. the Nerf guns. You're a braver woman than me, we had a 'no gunfire in the house ever' rule.

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